Juli Deák – Brisk

Thanatosis Produktion

Polish-Hungarian flautist Juli Deák is experimenting with the interaction between the player and the instrument on her first release for Thanatosis. Recorded at the Church Of The Immaculate Conception in Budapest, this suite of pieces fuses circular breathing techniques, intense rhythmic attack and percussive textures into a whole that flickers across light and dark as if watching a projector film of seabirds at play.

The staccato pulse of the flute evokes light flickering within a moody backdrop, amplifying shadows but also stressing the light as it moves through moments. The art of Juli’s playing is in itself an impressive feat as the various textures make it feel as though there is more than one person in the room. You can detect the breath, the percussive details of the keys and the rising and falling of the notes all in one rush. The regular, circular motion can become dizzying, its constant insistence and slight changes of timbre evoking the view of a gull fighting a strong offshore breeze.

Due to the circular breathing, the sound is constant and although the pressure reduces, the flickering sensation and the minute incremental changes to the tone leave little space for the drawing of breath for both Juli and the listener. Hearing her breath and the little percussive elements bring the humanity of the piece and make it feel as though you are sitting in the room with Juli. She brings the space of the venue into play and the flute dances, constantly shifting position.

The frequency of the ululations changes by track and is sometimes supported by a harsher tone that appears from somewhere, a drone that offers a plaintive counterpoint. You find yourself drifting, considering Juli alone in the church, putting all her effort and skill into this obsessive singular pursuit. The percussive element comes more to the fore as the album progresses and it makes you think how extraordinary it is that one person is producing these textures in one take with one instrument. The final piece pulls things back enough to make it easier to detect the variances and I was caught thinking of a lark slowed down, its thrilling trill reproduced by human means.

It is a delightful end to an album that has you reconsidering your appreciation for the flute and what it can achieve; for Juli, it is a labour of love but one that is well worth sharing with her.

-Mr Olivetti-